Cultural Heritage

On 24 April European ministers responsible for cultural heritage have adopted guidelines for a European heritage strategy at their 6th conference entitled “Cultural heritage in the 21st century for living better together. Towards a common strategy for Europe.” The conference was organised in Namur in the framework of the Belgian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

The report, presenting the conclusions of the Expert Group established under the Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2014 for the Societal Challenge ‘Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials’, provides the rationale for setting a renewed European Research & Innovation policy agenda on cultural heritage.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education held a public hearing on 2 December 2014 in Brussels. The hearing focused on the current state of play, the challenges faced and the steps to be taken in order to tap into the potential of cultural heritage for social progress and sustainable economic development.

Meeting in Brussels on 25 November EU Ministers of Culture agreed on a new Work Plan for Culture, setting out the priorities for European cooperation in cultural policy-making for the next four years. The Work Plan addresses key challenges faced by cultural organisations and small and medium sized enterprises in the creative sector at national and EU level in the context of globalisation and digitisation.

At its meeting in Brussels on 25 November 2014, the Council of the European Union, under the leadership of the Italian Presidency, adopted Conclusions on participatory governance of cultural heritage, inviting Member States to promote a more active involvement of civil society and of the private sector in the governance of cultural heritage, at local, regional, national and European levels.

This mapping report aims to contribute to the development of a strategic approach to the preservation and promotion of European heritage. It provides a wide (but not exhaustive) range of information about EU policies, legislation, programmes and funding opportunities relevant to cultural heritage.

For the first time ever, the Council of the European Union has adopted Conclusions on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe. Under the leadership of the Hellenic Presidency of the European Union, the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council adopted these historic conclusions at its meeting on 21 May in Brussels.

The Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe Report demonstrates the extraordinary power of our cultural heritage to improve the quality of our lives. In every corner of Europe, the wealth of heritage buildings and sites, historic neighbourhoods and cultural landscapes has the capacity to inspire and enrich us all and to help us foster and nurture a sense of belonging to a wider community.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe (COM(2014) 477 final).